No June Swoon as Big Saturday of Stakes Scheduled

The first half of 2021 concludes with a bang Saturday, June 26.

A closing-day card at Churchill Downs offers seven stakes topped by the Stephen Foster (G2), Fleur de Lis (G2), and Wise Dan (G2T). The Foster and Fleur de Lis are Breeders' Cup Challenge races for the Longines Classic (G1) and Longines Distaff (G1), respectively. Bolstering a stellar program are the Debutante and Bashford Manor (G3), a pair of $150,000 six-furlong sprints for 2-year-olds.

At Belmont Park, 3-year-old fillies are spotlighted in the storied Mother Goose (G2) on the main track and in the Wild Applause Stakes on turf. It's also a huge day at Thistledown, where the $500,000 Ohio Derby (G3) and $250,000 Lady Jacqueline are the headliners.

New York will host a Cross Country Pick 5 linking the Bashford Manor, Ohio Derby, Wild Applause, Wise Dan, and Stephen Foster. Free Equibase past performances for the 50-cent wager are available.

Ohio Derby (Tdn, race 9, 5:04 ET): A competitive field of 11 includes three graded stakes winners—Promise Keeper  (1), King Fury  (4), and Keepmeinmind  (8)—and also Proxy  (9), runner-up in a pair of graded stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots this year.

As impressive as King Fury was in the Stonestreet Lexington (G3), it's noteworthy he scratched out of the Kentucky Derby Presented By Woodford Reserve (G1) after spiking a fever, and then missed the Preakness Stakes (G1) as well after developing a cough. The $950,000 Curlin   colt is one to watch for sure, but his ultimate summer goal is the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) in two months.

The improving and versatile Promise Keeper comes off two straight wins at the Ohio Derby's 1 1/8-mile trip climaxed by a solid score in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3). He should trip out nicely from the rail.

Keepmeinmind and Proxy have been somewhat disappointing through the first half of the season, but both are getting blinker changes, and, significantly, both are getting Lasix. Proxy is 2-for-2 when running with the boldface L, and gets the benefit of the doubt for spinning his wheels in the slop against King Fury in the Lexington.

Ethical Judgement  (5) and Masqueparade  (10) are up-and-coming types worth a look. Ethical Judgement has run three times on dirt and the only horse to finish in front of him was Fulsome, who is now 3-for-3 on dirt after taking the Oaklawn Stakes and Matt Winn (G3). Masqueparade recorded a stakes-class figure winning off by nearly a dozen lengths last out and did it stalking from an outside post, which is the kind of trip he projects for once again.

A - 1, 8, 9

B - 4, 5, 10

Wild Applause (Bel, race 9, 5:12 ET): Chad Brown sends out even-money favorite Always Carina  in the Mother Goose, and the four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer also has the one to beat here in Minaun  (2), an Irish-bred filly by Zoffany  who rallied past older allowance runners with ease in her United States debut.

Lovestruck  (3), a half sister to the late Scat Daddy, was a bit green in two starts last year but won them both after surviving inquiries for bumping in the stretch. The daughter of Tapit   seems like a viable candidate to improve on her 2-year-old figures.

Christophe Clement sends out the duo of Bubbles On Ice  (6), who captured the Memories Of Silver Stakes in her first U.S. outing, and Bye Bye  (7), a game winner of the Soaring Softly Stakes (G3T) on this course.

A - 2, 3

B - 6, 7

Wise Dan (CD, race 10, 5:26 ET): Juddmonte homebred Set Piece  (1) has won five of seven starts in blinkers and shoots for his third straight stakes win at the meet for Brad Cox and Florent Geroux. He is more than capable of running down Somelikeithotbrown  (3), but the latter is third back from a layoff after taking the Dinner Party Stakes (G2T) on the Preakness undercard and is potentially loose on the lead.

Ride a Comet  (7) and Field Pass  (8) notched impressive speed figures when second and fourth in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T), but then regressed, finishing off the board in the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic (G1T) and Man o' War (G1T) stakes respectively. The bounce-rebound angle is in play for both of them.

A - 1

B - 3, 7, 8

Stephen Foster (CD, race 11, 5:59 ET): Maxfield  (8) will be a standalone for many multi-race wagers and while the Godolphin homebred by Street Sense is obviously the most likely winner at odds-on, he could be susceptible to a bounce after running down a game Visitant  (9) in the Alysheba Stakes Presented by Sentient Jet (G2). There also are the nagging points that a) all five of his stakes victories have come at 1 1/16 miles, and b) he has yet to beat a truly top-class opponent.

That's enough doubt for me to also include the three entrants that have won stakes at 1 1/8 miles: Chess Chief  (1), who won the New Orleans Classic (G2) in between third-place finishes to Maxfield; Silver Dust  (5), last-out winner of the Ben Ali (G3) and third in this race a year ago; and Visitant, who held well in the Alysheba—his first dirt route since the 2019 Affirmed Stakes (G3)—after winning the Twinspires Kentucky Cup Classic on the synthetic surface at Turfway Park.

A - 8

B - 1, 5, 9